Srinagar: People continued to protest for the third day on Monday in Kashmir's Anantnag district where a woman was allegedly beaten to death by police during a search for contraband drugs.

People in Ahlaan Gadool village in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district are demanding action against those responsible for the death of 65-year-old Mukhti. The woman's family members have alleged that police officials had beaten her ruthlessly, which resulted in her death.

Meanwhile, police have withdrawn their earlier statement that the search was conducted on a tip-off that there were stocks in the house of contraband herb called dioscorea, which is found in the valley forests and used in making drugs.

"During investigation, we found that the woman's son-in-law Abdul Majid Deka of Ahlaan Vailoo in Kokernag and two special police officers (SPOs) Mohammad Ashraf Deka and Fayaz Ahmad had misguided the police by placing 3.3 kg of dioscorea near her house," a fresh statement said.

The two SPOs and the son-in-law of the woman have already been arrested and a departmental probe has been ordered against the assistant sub-inspector who headed the search team.

"We are awaiting the post-mortem report, which will establish the cause of the woman's death," a police official said.